The present invention relates to the fabrication of active and passive polymer-based, optoelectronic components. The technical task at hand is to devise a method directed to the fabrication of passive and active optoelectronic components having a high level of integration and high packing density. The fabrication process should make it possible to influence the parameters and properties of the optoelectronic component to be produced, in particular, to selectively influence the refractive index, nonlinear optical property, polarizability, double refraction and amplification properties during the fabrication process.
As described in    1.] R. Kashyap, in “Photosensitive Optical Fibers: Devices and Applications”, Opt. Fibres Techn. 1, pp. 17–314 (1994), present-day fabrication processes for components and circuits of integrated optics are based on optical fiber technology which strives for an “all-fiber” solution for the circuits required in telecommunications. Integrated optical waveguide circuits are constructed, together with active and passive components on expensive semiconductor substrates, using even more expensive molecular beam epitaxy or metal organic deposition from the vapor phase, to implement the optical circuits required in telecommunications. A description of such processes can be found in the following sources:    2.] C. Cremer, H. Heise, R. März, M. Schienle, G. Schulte-Roth, H. Unzeitig, “Bragg Gratings on InGaAsP/InP-Waveguides as Polarization Independent Optical Filters” J. of Lightwave Techn., 7, 11, 1641 (1989);    3.] R. C. Alferness, L. L. Bühl, U. Koren, B. I. Miller, M. G. Young, T. L. Koch, C. A. Burrus, G. Raybon, “Broadly tunable InGaAsP/InP buried rib waveguide vertical coupler filter”, Appl. Phys. Lett., 60, 8, 980 (1992);    4.] Wu, C. Rolland, F. Sheperd, C. Larocque, N. Puetz, K. D. Chik, J. M. Xu, “InGaAsP/Inp Vertical Filter with Optimally Designed Wavelength Tunability”, IEEE Photonics Technol. Lett., 4, 4, 457 (1993);    5.] Z. M. Chuang, L. A. Coldren “Enhanced wavelength tuning in grating assisted codirectional coupler filter”, IEEE Photonics Technology Lett., 5, 10, 1219 (1993).
Also known is a process for fabricating waveguide circuits from polymeric waveguides using mask-assisted exposure processes, as described in source 6.] by L-H. Lösch, P. Kersten and W. Wischmann in “Optical Waveguide Materials” (M. M. Broer, G. H. Sigel Jr., R. Th. Kersten, H. Kawazoe ed) Mat. Res. Soc. 244, Pittsburg, Pa. 1992, pp. 253–262.    A further known design approach is based on defining the waveguides by etching a step into optically thinner layers. A process of this kind is described by 7.] K. J. Ebeling in “Integrierte Optoelektronik” (Springer Verlag 1989) 81.    1. A further known process is based on silylation. In the silylation process, waveguides are already defined in NOVOLAK, and checked for their usability in integrated optics, as described in source 8.] by T. Kerber, H. W. P. Koops in “Surface imaging with HMCTS on SAL resists, a dry developable electron beam process with high sensitivity and good resolution”, Microelectronic Engineering 21 ((1993) 275–278.    2. The processes required for this and for accurate process control are described in source 9.] by H. W. P. Koops, B. Fischer, T. Kerber, in “Endpoint detection for silylation processes with waveguide modes”, Microelectronic Engineering 21 (1993) 235–238, and in source 10.] by J. Vac, SCI Technol. B 6 (1) (1988) 477.
Substantial differences in refractive indices can be produced by implanting ions at high energies and high doses in PMMA. Processes of this kind are described in source 11.] by R. Kallweit, J. P-Biersack in “Ion Beam Induced Changes of the Refractive Index of PMMA”, Radiation Effects and Defects in Solids, 1991, vol. 116, pp. 29–36, and in source 12.] by R. Kallweit, U. Roll, J. Kuppe, H. Strack “Long-Term Studies on the Optical Performance of Ion Implanted PMMA Under the Influence of Different Media”, Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. Vol. 338 (1994) 619–624. In this context, differences in the refractive indices in solid PMMA material of up to 20% are obtained. However, masking processes must be used for patterning. Due to the high ion energy and the required absorber layer thickness in the mask, the resolution is limited by the edge roughness that is attainable using mask fabrication technologies. Electrically switchable regions incorporated in waveguides can be produced by diffusing poled, nonlinearly optical materials in polymers. In this manner, one can achieve a link to electrical adjustability of optical paths, or to the influencing of optical processes.    13.] M. Eich, H. Looser, D. Y. Yoon, R. Twieg, G. C. Bjorklund, “Second harmonic generation in poled organic monomeric glasses”, J. Opt. Soc. Am. B, 6, 8, (1989);    14.] M. Eich, A. Sen, H. Looser, G. C. Björklund, J. D. Swalen, R. Twieg, D. Y. Yoon, “Corona Poling and Real Time Second Harmonic Generation Study of a Novel Covalently Functionalized Amorphous Nonlinear Optical Polymer”, J. Appl. Phys., 66, 6, (1989)R. Birenheide;    15.] M. Eich, D. A. Jungbauer, O. Herrmann-Schönherr, K. Stoll, J. H. Wendorff, “Analysis of Reorientational Processes in Liquid Crystalline Side Chain Polymers Using Dielectric Relaxation, Electro-Optical Relaxation and Switching Studies”, Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst., 177, 13 (1989);    16.] M. Eich, G. C. Björklond, D. Y. Yoon, “Poled Amorphous Polymers of Second Order Nonlinear Optics”, Polymers for Advanced Technologies, 1, 189 (1990) M. Stalder, P. Ehbets, “Electrically switchable diffractive optical element for image processing”, Optics Letters 19, 1 (1994).
Free configurability of the pattern is achieved if, using the new process of additive lithography, three-dimensional patterns and periodic arrangements are constructed on any desired, inexpensive substrates, and if the refractive index of the deposited material is adapted to the task, by properly selecting the precursor material, as well as the sources listed below, are named as sources for the aforementioned subject area.    17.] M. Stalder, P. Ehbets, “Electrically switchable diffractive optical element for image processing”, Optics Letters 19, 1 (1994);    18.] H. W. P. Koops, R. Weiel, D. P. Kern, T. H. Baum, “High Resolution Electron Beam Induced Deposition”, Proc. 3 1. Int. Symp. On Electron, Ion, and Photon Beams, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 6(1) (1988) 477;    19.] H. W. P. Koops, J. Kretz, M. Rudolph, M. Weber “Constructive 3-dimensional Lithography with Electron Beam Induced Deposition for Quantum Effect Devices”, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 10(6) November, December (1993) 2386–2389;    20.] H. W. P. Koops, J. Kretz, M. Rudolph, M. Weber, G. Dahm, K. L. Lee “Characterization and application of materials grown by electron beam induced deposition”, Invited lecture Micro Process 1994, Jpn. J. Appl. Vol. 33 (1994) 7099–7107, part. 1 no. 12B, December 1994;    21.] Hans W. P. Koops, Shawn-Yu Lin, “3-Dimensional Photon Crystals Generated Using Additive Corpuscular-Beam-Lithography” patent specification filed on Aug. 20, 1995.
It is, thus, possible to construct narrow-band, geometrical and permanently adjustable filters and highly reflective mirrors on a miniaturized scale from photon crystals. If the photon crystals produced using deposition techniques are combined with nonlinear, optical materials in the interstices of the deposited materials, it is possible to obtain miniaturized, adjustable optical components [source 21.]
Present-day surface-imaging processes make it possible, using optical phase masks and steppers and, with the use of dry etching processes, to achieve the resolution and height ratios required for optical gratings and other optical elements. This can be achieved using the lithography and process equipment of the manufacturers of electronic storage devices having a
1 G-bit size, and corresponding resolution. High-throughput production processes are used in corpuscular-beam optical miniaturization techniques, as explained in the following sources:    23.] H. Koops, 1974, German Patent 2446 789.8–33 “Corpuscular-Beam Optical Device for Corpuscular Irradiation of a Preparation”;    24.] H. Koops, 1974, German Patent 2460 716.7 “Corpuscular-Beam Optical Device for Corpuscular Irradiation of a Preparation”;    25.] H. Koops, 1974, German Patent 2460 715.6 “Corpuscular-Beam Optical Device for Corpuscular Irradiation of a Preparation in the Form of a Two-Dimensional Pattern having a Plurality of Identical Two-Dimensional Elements”;    26.] H. Koops, 1975, German Patent 2515 550.4 “Corpuscular-Beam Optical Device for Imaging a Mask onto a Preparation to be Irradiated”;    27.] H. W. P. Koops, “Capacities of Electron Beam Reducing Image Projection Systems having Dynamically Compensated Field Aberrations” Microelectronic Engineering 9 (1989) 217–220.
A further known miniaturization technique is based on techniques using small mask templates as described in the following sources:    28.] H. Elsner, P. Hahmann, G. Dahm, H. W. P. Koops “Multiple Beam-shaping Diaphragm for Efficient Exposure of Gratings” J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 0(6) November, December (1993) 2373–2376;    29.] H. Elsner, H.-J. Doring, H. Schacke, G. Dahm, H. W. P. Koops “Advanced Multiple Beam-shaping Diaphragm for Efficient Exposure”, Microelectronic Engineering 23 (1994) 85–88.
Miniaturization can also be achieved through the use of electron-beam-induced deposition in projectors.    30.] M. Rüb, H. W. P. Koops, T. Tschudi “Electron-beam-induced deposition in a reducing image projector”, Microelectronic Engineering 9 (1989) 251–254.
At the present time, one does not know of integrated optical patterns, where the process of refractive index modulation is employed by diffusing nonlinear optical, high-refractive-index or liquid-crystal monomers into existing polymers, in conjunction with free-standing polymer patterns, where the refractive index difference with respect to the vacuum is used as the essential step for the refractive index increases.